The tanker Agios Fanourios I, flying the Malta flag and transporting oil, passes through the Strait of Hormuz and reaches Iraq’s territorial waters near Basra on Friday. Mohammed Aty/Reuters
Iran’s military claims that limitations on ship transit through the Strait of Hormuz are being reinstated, citing “repeated violations of trust” by the United States regarding the ceasefire between the two parties.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted that the Strait was open for traffic, but within hours, Iranian state media verified the “complete oversight of Iranian armed forces over the transit of ships, and this transit is deemed invalid if the supposed naval blockade persists.”
US President Donald Trump has asserted that a naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain effective until a comprehensive deal is finalized with Tehran. The timing and location of a potential subsequent meeting between the two parties remain uncertain after the first round of negotiations in Islamabad ended unsuccessfully last weekend.
A military spokesperson from Iran stated that Tehran permitted a “restricted number of oil tankers and commercial vessels” to navigate through the Strait.
“Sadly, the Americans, due to their consistent violations of trust that define their history, persist in acts of piracy and maritime theft under the guise of a blockade,” the spokesman stated, as reported by the semi-official Fars news agency.
The Strait was once more “under the strict management and control of the armed forces” until the US lifts its blockade on vessels departing from and arriving at Iranian ports, he stated.
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